Franklin from ‘Peanuts’ gets to shine in the spotlight of a new animated Apple TV+ special

By Mark Kennedy | The Associated Press This image released by Apple TV+ shows Peanuts characters Charlie Brown, left, and Franklin in a scene from the animated special “Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin,” premiering Friday. (Apple TV+ via AP) NEW YORK (AP) — The mild-mannered Franklin — the first Black character in the “Peanuts” comic strip — gets to shine in his own& animated Apple TV+ special& this month in a story about friendship. Franklin is a newcomer who bonds with Charlie Brown and is welcomed to the Peanuts universe in& “Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin,”& which premieres on Friday. Co-writer Robb Armstrong, the cartoonist behind the “Jump Start” strip., says he’s building on the blueprints that “Peanuts” creator Charles Schulz left. “Whenever you start with good ingredients, you have to work hard to make a bad cake out of it,” he says. Race is never explicitly mentioned but Armstrong and co-writer Scott Montgomery make a subtle nod when Franklin surveys the kids in his new town and remarks, “One thing was for sure: There was a lack of variety in this place.” What to know about Franklin from ‘Peanuts’ First appearance:& On July 31, 1968, on a beach, Franklin...